Representatives of the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service and the National Agriculture Statistics Service will provide U.S. Department of Agriculture agency updates.

?NASS will present an overview of the 2012 Agriculture Census and what it means to the local farmers and ranchers,? Gomez said.

The New Mexico Outreach Project is funded by the USDA Office of Outreach and Advocacy?s Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program. The grant terminates at the end of August.

?This will probably be the last conference sponsored under this grant.? Gomez said. ?We hope people will take advantage of this conference to learn the latest information on the topics presented.?

Registration for both days of the conference is $50 before Aug. 4 and $60 at the door. Pre-registration is important to ensure that adequate seating space and meals are available. Call Augusta at 505-852-2668 to pre-register.

?Scholarships for the full registration fee are available and we encourage people needing assistance to take advantage of them,? Gomez said. ?If people are interested in these scholarships, they need to contact Joseph Garcia at 505-852-0480 or 505-927-9611; Tory Hougland at 505-927-8750; or Judy Finley at 575-643-5507.?

The conference is sponsored by NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, NMSU Small Farm and Ranch Task Force, USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach, and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and co-sponsored by USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, USDA Farm Service Agency, and the Institute of American Indian Art.